In many applications it is desirable to stabilise a payload, for example to limit the effect of vibrations or other movement. This is particularly relevant where the payload is a video camera. The rise of compact and rugged video cameras, often known as active cameras, has allowed people to record their experiences whilst on the move in a much wider range of environments. When carried by drones, for example, such cameras allow for the recording of unprecedented “bird's eye” views of desired scenes. It is already possible to stream recordings from such video cameras directly to a virtual reality headset or projection room, potentially opening up a new world of video interactivity. Such direct streams can, however, be disorienting and nausea-inducing, due to unexpected movements of the camera's field of view.
Video recordings taken whilst a camera is moving tend to be unstable, resulting in jerky movements due to unwanted movement or vibration of the system carrying the camera. Despite advances in drone stabilisation technology, for example, drones are still subject to turbulence that is not easily corrected for when stabilising a camera. To provide stable footage that is suitable for direct use, for example for viewing on a head set, recordings tend to require extensive post-production editing.
A further problem with existing stabilisation systems for video cameras is, when obtaining footage that needs to have a 360° field of view, the size of existing mounts tends to be too large to place the cameras (typically 3 or more) close enough to allow for seamless and straightforward stitching together of video footage. The closer the cameras can be positioned together, the easier it is to stitch video footage together.
It is known to provide passive stabilisation systems to attempt to minimise unwanted movement of camera systems. Typically, these involve simple passive vibration damping. Such systems are slow to react to movement, and have limited effect. More advanced stabilisation systems, such as that disclosed in US2014/0270744 A1, use motors to actively stabilise a payload. Such systems, however, can be large and heavy, and not particularly suitable for capturing 360 degree footage due to the mount being in shot for much of the view, and so are not ideal for use with small drones or in other applications where size and weight are important or critical factors.